Bed extender

ABSTRACT

A bed extender for attachment to the side rails of a bed frame and which includes members attachable to the side rail and having upwardly extending members securable thereto. The upwardly extending members are engageable with a transversely extending support means which is positioned flush with the upper surface of the mattress on the bed but at the head end thereof to extend the bed.

United States Patent Moss et al.

[54] BED EXTENDER [72] Inventors: Jack J. Moss, 640 Ardleight Drive, Akron, Ohio 44303; Archie F. Hunt, 129 Kent Court, Akron, Ohio 44305 22 Filed: 0.12,1970

21 Appl.No.: 80,013

[52] US. Cl. ..5/317, 5/184, 5/92 [51] Int. Cl. ..A47c 19/00, A61 g 7/02 [58] Field of Search ..5/17, 72, 74, 202, 176, 287,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,607,932 8/1952 Doyle ..5/184 Sept. 5, 1972 3,064,278 11/1962 Broyles ..5/184 2,958,874 11/1960 Emery ..5/181 X 3,335,432 8/1967 Foster ..5/72

Primary ExaminerCasmir A. Nunberg Attorney-Oldham & Oldham [57] ABSTRACT A bed extender for attachment to the side rails of a bed frame and which includes members attachable to the side rail and having upwardly extendingmembers securable thereto. The upwardly extending members are engageable with a transversely extending support means which is positioned flush with the upper surface of the mattress on the bed but at the head end thereof to extend the bed.

3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDsEP smz 3588.321

SHEET 1 0F 2 FIG. 3 K 42 :r:-=:" INVENTORS JACK J. Moss "H58 60 BY ARCHIE F. HUNT J" Mm 9M J FIG; 4

ATTORNEYS PKTENTEDSEF 51972 3.688,321

- sum 2 or 2 FIG. 6

INVENTORS JACK J. MOSS BY ARCHIE F. HUNT F l G- 7 li 40v ATTORNEYS especially to apparatus for extending the length of a bed at the headboard end thereof.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Heretofore there has been various efforts made to provide bed extenders to extend the beds both transversely and longitudinally so as to provide more sleeping comfort, to adapt the beds for larger persons, etc. Such units are typified by the constructions shown in US. Pats. Nos. 3,335,432 and 2,958,874. However, all of such bed extenders as proposed heretofore have either been relatively costly, they have been difficult to attach to an existing bed and bed frame, or they have been objectionable for other reasons.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved bed extender which is characterized by the sturdy construction thereof and by the extender being able to be shipped in a compact space but with the components of the bed extender being readily assembled to operative position by the average home owner.

A further object of the invention is to provide an uncomplicated bed extender that can be readily attached to many bedframes at the headboard end thereof and provide increased bed length at minimum cost but yet to provide a satisfactory, useful assembly.

Another object is to provide a readily attachable extender for a bed, and to provide an extender that may be used with either single or double beds.

The foregoing objects and others will be made more apparent as the specification proceeds.

Attention now is directed to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a bed having a bed extender of the invention operatively attached thereto;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bed extender apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 33 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a section through the center of the bed extender;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of a modified bed extender of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevation of the structure of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section through a further modification of the bed extender of the invention as for use with double beds.

When referring to corresponding members shown in the drawings and referred to in the specification, corresponding numerals are used to facilitate comparison therebetween.

Regarding the details of the structure shown in the drawings, FIG. 1 indicates a substantially conventional Hollywood style bed 10 which has a bed extender embodying the principles of the invention and indicated as a whole by the numeral 12 attached thereto. This bed extender in turn supports the conventional bed headboard 14 such as can be used with the initial bed 10 and also with the bed extender 12 attached thereto to avoid the necessity of any new headboard in the extended bed with the attachment of the invention secured thereto. Conventional support legs 16 are provided for the bed 10.

FIG. 2 shows more details of the bed extender l2 and it includes a pair of side rail extenders or members 18 and 20. It will be noted that the side rails of the bed 10 each have an end plate 22 attached to the end thereof normally adjacent the head board 14. These end plates 22 normally have a pair of vertically spaced slots 24 and 26 provided therein and such end plate extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the side rail to which it is secured. Each of the extenders 18 and 20 has a pair of end plates 28 and 30 secured thereto and extending perpendicularly thereto at the ends thereof. Such end plates 28 and 30 likewise have slots or holes 32 and 34 therein of the same general size and spacing as the slots 24 and 26 whereby any suitable bolts 36 or the like can be used to attach the extenders l8 and 20 to the bed frame side rails and form a secure, inner- Iocked connection therebetween and positively position the extenders in the bed assembly. Normally these extenders l8 and 20 comprise metal angles having a horizontally positioned flange and a vertically extending flange as indicated at 38. Apertures 40 are provided in this vertical flange 38 to receive bolts 42 that secure an upwardly extending support plate or device 44 in position. Each of these support plates or devices 44 is of substantially the length of the extender 18 or 20 and it is provided with apertures for receiving the bolts 42 to provide a fixed or positive positioning of such support plates in the assembly. These support plates may rest on the horizontally extending flange on the extenders l8 and 20, if desired.

At the upper end of the support plate or device 44, each of these on the opposite sides of the bed extender assembly, has an inwardly turned upper flange 46. The support plates 44 are shorter in height than the assembly of the mattress 13 and springs 15 carried by the bed 10.

In order to provide a bed extension in the same plane as the upper surface of the mattress 13, the support plates 44 receive a transversely directed means 47 such as a pair of cross members 48 and 50. Screws 49 secure such members to the flanges 46. Each of these members 48 and 50 preferably comprises a lower support board 52 and an upper padded resilient foam layer or cushion 54 each of which may have a cover 56 extending thereover. The cross member means 47 are of such a vertical height and are so positioned as to lie flush with the upper surface of the mattress 13 and form an extension thereof. To secure the members 48 and 50 together and form a unit from the assembly as shown in the drawings, suitable securing means are provided and may include a tie board or member 58 is provided that is secured by members such as cap screws 60 to adjacent ends of the supports 48 and 50 to form a unit therefrom. These supports 48 and 50 are each preferably of one-half the width of the bed frame to facilitate storing and shipping the bed extender 12 in unassembled form, but yet to provide a compact package of such members.

In a modified bed extender 12a shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a support member or device 44a is shown and it may be made from wood or metal as desired, and this support device is secured to a bed extender 18a by bolts 36a engaging vertically extending slots 40a provided in the vertical leg of bed extender rail 18a. By providing these vertically extending slots 40a, about an inch or so vertical adjustment is provided for the positioning of the support member or device 44a to insure that a cross member 48a is positioned flush with or in the same plane as the support surfaces of the associated mattress provided on the bed. Similar slots may be provided in the extenders 40.

As a further feature of this embodiment of the invention, a hinge 70 is provided and is suitably secured to the support plate or member 44a at the upper end thereof, and to a laterally outer end of the cross member 480. Hence, this hinge will permit the adjacent surfaces of the supports 44a and 48a to abut on each other and aid in providing a sturdy bed extender assembly. The hinge 70 preferably would be secured to the associated parts by the manufacturer and thus further facilitates and simplifies the attachment of the bed extender to an existing bed.

In FIG. 7, a further modification of the invention is shown wherein the unit is adapted to be attached to a double bed. in this instance, a suitable vertically extending support plate or means 44b is provided for engaging each of the frame bed rails, and this support means may engage with an individual cross member 48b or 50b in accordance with the teachings of FIGS. 1 through 4, or FIGS. 5 and 6, as desired. However, in order to adapt the unit for attachment to a double bed, a third cross member 80 must be provided and this is of the same general construction as the cross member 48 referred to hereinbefore. In addition, the cross member 80 is now secured to the cross member 48b by a support or attaching plate 58a at one end of such member 80 whereas the opposite end of the cross member 80 has a support plate 82 suitably attached thereto and engaged with an end of the cross member 50b to provide a continuous unitary bed frame extender. Obviously, the upper surfaces of the cross members 48 and 50, or equivalent members 48b, 80 and 50b, must all lie in a common plane and be positively secured to adjacent members for use to extend a bed by being secured to the headboard end thereof. The bed headboard can be secured in position at the end of the bed headboard or bed extender unit remote from the mattress and springs on the bed frame, as is done in a conventional manner.

Usually, the cross members in the bed frame, such as the members 48 and 50, each are of one-half of the width of a conventional single bed, which is 38 inches wide, so that each of these units would be about 19 inches long, whereas then the center cross member 80 would normally be 16 inches long so long as to provide an assembly of 54 inches in width so that the unit can be secured to either a single or double bed, as desired. Usually, in making the support plate or means 44 or equivalent in the practice of the invention, these members may have a cover secured thereto and this cover may be a plastic sheet or other member the same as used to cover the units 48 and 50 and provide an attractive, serviceable bed extender means.

P16. 1 shows the length a of the bed extender and how it elongates the bed by an equal distance indicated at b. Of course, the bed extender can be made of any desired size to fit onto any bed frame.

it will be seen that the bed extender 12 can be formed from substantially conventional metal plates,

boards, cushion means, support boards and metal angles so that a sturdy but inexpensive assembly has been rovided. The sem l is com ct f r ora a d hipment as we as bei n uncomp i cate an d cai iae ttached to most existing bed frames without difficulty to provide a sturdy bed extender. Hence, it is believed that the objects of the invention have been achieved.

While one complete embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein, it will be appreciated that modification of this particular embodiment of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bed extender for combination with a bed frame having side rails with end plates on the headboard end thereof,

a side rail extender securable at one end to each of said side rails, a pair of extenders being provided,

a support plate engageable with one of said side rail extenders to extend upwardly therefrom substantially the height of but shorter than mattress and spring means received on said bed frame, one support plate being provided for each said side rail extender,

cross member means adapted to be operatively secured to and extend between said support plates,

said cross member means including a pair of supports each of about one-half the width of the bed frame, and a connection device securable to the lower end surfaces of said supports and extending therebetween whereby the parts of the extender are relatively short and can be compactly stored and shipped.

2. A bed extender as in claim 1 where each of said pair of supports is about one-half the width of a single size bed frame in length, an intermediate support is provided for positioning between said supports to provide cross member means of double bed width, and said connection device includes means securable to the lower end surfaces of said supports and intermediate support to secure the same together whereby the parts of the extender are relatively short but can be used in a double bed.

3. In combination with a bed frame having side rails with end plates on the headboard end thereof,

a side rail extender secured at one end to each of said side rails,

a support device engaging each of said side rail extenders and extending upwardly therefrom;

cross member means operatively secured to and extending between said support devices at the upper ends thereof to form a bed extender for said bed frame, a headboard being secured to and extending between the other ends of said side rail extenders, said cross member means having a resilient upper portion adapted to abut on and form an extension of a mattress of said bed frame, and hinge means operatively securing said supports individually at their axially outer ends to the upper ends of said support plates. 

1. A bed extender for combination with a bed frame having side rails with end plates on the headboard end thereof, a side rail extender securable at one end to each of said side rails, a pair of extenders being provided, a support plate engageable with one of said side rail extenders to extend upwardly therefrom substantially the height of but shorter than mattress and spring means received on said bed frame, one support plate being provided for each said side rail extender, cross member means adapted to be operaTively secured to and extend between said support plates, said cross member means including a pair of supports each of about one-half the width of the bed frame, and a connection device securable to the lower end surfaces of said supports and extending therebetween whereby the parts of the extender are relatively short and can be compactly stored and shipped.
 2. A bed extender as in claim 1 where each of said pair of supports is about one-half the width of a single size bed frame in length, an intermediate support is provided for positioning between said supports to provide cross member means of double bed width, and said connection device includes means securable to the lower end surfaces of said supports and intermediate support to secure the same together whereby the parts of the extender are relatively short but can be used in a double bed.
 3. In combination with a bed frame having side rails with end plates on the headboard end thereof, a side rail extender secured at one end to each of said side rails, a support device engaging each of said side rail extenders and extending upwardly therefrom; cross member means operatively secured to and extending between said support devices at the upper ends thereof to form a bed extender for said bed frame, a headboard being secured to and extending between the other ends of said side rail extenders, said cross member means having a resilient upper portion adapted to abut on and form an extension of a mattress of said bed frame, and hinge means operatively securing said supports individually at their axially outer ends to the upper ends of said support plates. 